The X-Factor USA judge, who last month denied rumours that she was dating One Direction star Niall Horan, told Teen Vogue magazine that she thinks the dance sub-genre is little more than a passing fad:

“I will say that I'm tired of all the dubstep that's on the radio right now — I think it's going to be out in two months.

“I want to make something that people will listen to for a while, rather than something that's just trendy. I feel like I've grown as a person, and I want my music to grow with me."

However, the 20-year-old, who recently claimed that she was born with an eating disorder, did go on to sing the praises of two particular current artists:

"I love the way that Adele has carved out a path for a singer that's very emotional, but I also love how Taylor Swift can do the same thing — she puts a lot into her songs yet they're still very catchy.”

The 28-year-old, who is gearing up to release his first album in the States in December, told MTV News that he thinks the ‘Womanizer’ superstar is ideally suited to the role:

"She's one of the biggest artists that we've ever had. What she's achieved musically is amazing and I think this just gives her a new string to her bow. And I think that if there's anyone that could judge someone on the 'X Factor,' she's qualified to do it.

“Let's be honest, also, she's had her ups and downs in the industry as well so it's going to be exciting to see how she copes with it all as well and how she gets on."

The 'Heart Skips A Beat' chart-topper, who this week unveiled the artwork for his third UK album, 'Right Place, Right Time,' also revealed he’s heard nothing but good things about the Camp Rock star from a certain boyband:

"Demi Lovato, I mean, I don't know too much about Demi, but hearing about her from the States and hearing about her from the likes of One Direction speaking about her, obviously she's a very lovely girl, fun. She's obviously a great singer and great performer as well.”

Speaking to the British funnyman, Horan explained that he "can't back out" of talking about it because the place they had dinner at posted a tweet to let the pair's fans know they were there:

"We went for a bit of dinner after the VMAs. And I can’t back out of that because the restaurant tweeted that we were there! We just had a bit of dinner.”

Earlier this month, Lovato denied that she was nothing more than just friends with the 'One Thing' hitmaker and told E!: "There is nothing going on. Niall's my friend. I'm really happy for One Direction and the success that they've had."

"It just goes to show you how crazy this competition is to making stars and the success that they have. He's a good friend of mine."

The singer has previously endured a number of issues such as eating disorders and self-harm and in 2010 she was admitted to a rehabilitation facility.

Speaking to US TV's Katie Couric, Lovato said that she initially felt the clinic was like a "prison", with a number of rules in place.

The X Factor USA judge added that she wasn't allowed to use the bathroom by herself so that people could keep an eye on her. She said:

"Treatment was so difficult at first. I remember walking around saying, 'I'm in prison!' They needed to have those strict rules in order for me to understand how sick I was. I wasn't allowed to use the bathroom by myself, you had specific phone times. You're not allowed to have certain hair products that you could injure yourself with or possibly drink."

Lovato continued: "You were stripped of a lot of things. I also had somebody watching over me every single time I ate and if I didn't finish what was on my plate, and often [there were] times I would cry because I physically couldn't stomach it, and if that happened, I would have to have little consequences, nothing horrible, just like not being able to go to the cafeteria to eat [with everyone else]."

Speaking to Katie Couric earlier this morning (September 24), Lovato opened up about her persistent struggles with body image and explained that issues like this run in her family, so she almost inherited the mindset:

"I believe that I was born with it, and that it was just gonna be there. It runs in my family and it's just there. And I think that when you go through things that are traumatic... it can bring out the nasty behaviours that rise to the surface when you don't know how to stay in control or feel your emotions."

Along with revealing that she first felt conscious of her figure at just 3-years-old, Lovato added that she felt "like the bigger one" out of her group of school friends, too:

"I've always had self-confidence issues... and it also didn't help that I had kids in school at such a young age that were really, really naturally very thin, so I always felt like the bigger one of the group."

The star, who is currently working as a judge on X Factor USA, sat down for a personal interview with Katie Couric and revealed that she wanted a flat stomach as a toddler after noticing how her stomach stuck out while wearing a diaper:

"I remember being 3 years old in a diaper and rubbing my hand over my stomach, and I remember thinking in my head ‘I wonder if one day this will ever be flat?’"

She added that her experience of being bullied as a child has had a significant impact on her life ever since and it was the verbal abuse that really took its toll:

"I’ve always said I wished that they had just hit me in the face and gotten it over with because what they said to me sticks to me to this day and it [turned] me into the person I am today."

When asked by Couric about the '09 incident that saw her hit one of her backing dancers in the face, Lovato explained: "I wasn’t really in control of my emotions at the time. I was just out of control and there’s no excuse for it but it definitely showed everyone I needed to get help and I think two days later I was checking into rehab."

The full interview will air on 'Katie' next Monday, September 24. Watch her discuss Niall Horan with Simon Cowell here:

]]> London Newsdesk http://www.pressparty.com/pg/newsdesk/DemiLovato/view/58063/ Fri, 21 Sep 2012 03:00:00 +0100 http://www.pressparty.com/pg/newsdesk/DemiLovato/view/58063/ X Factor USA judge Demi Lovato has signed up to represent an anti-bullying campaign and spoke out about her own experiences of being picked on.

In an interview with People magazine, 20-year-old Lovato explained that Secret's "Mean Stinks" campaign is something that's close to her heart because she knows how it feels to be a victim and wants to help in any way she can:

"I had a really tough time when I was in middle school. People would write 'hate petitions' [about me] and send them around to be signed. They'd have CD-bashing parties of my demos. They'd come to my house, stand across the street and yell things."

"It was a very emotional time for me, and all I wanted to do was get away. I heard about the program last year, and thought it was such a great opportunity. They're really trying to put an end to bullying."

She also surprised people at New York City's Young Women's Leadership School on Thursday (September 20) and encouraged them to wear blue nail polish on their pinky fingers, with which they could 'pinky swear' to have a drama-free school year:

"I'll definitely be wearing [the nail polish] starting soon. It's a conversation starter: 'Hey, why is your pinky blue?' 'This is a pinky promise that I'm not going to bully people, that me and my friends are ganging up for good.'"

The pop princess is appearing on her first X Factor series this year as a judge after signing up for the show earlier this year alongside fellow newbie Demi Lovato.

She had been filming auditions for weeks and now the series has started to air in the US.

Spears was seen singing 'Happy Birthday' on a recent programme to colleague LA Reid, who was celebrating his 56th birthday at the time.

The vocal cameo appeared on an episode in which X Factor UK stalwart Louis Walsh filled in for an absent Simon Cowell.

Britney Spears meanwhile thanked fans last night (September 19) for enjoying the 2012 X Factor USA series so far, posting on Twitter:

"I'm so happy y'all are into the show. I love it too. Tweeting along again for tomorrow's episode. Hope 2 C U 2! Night tweople :)."

Bieber came out top in Billboard's annual 21 Under 21 list, which is compiled to find the biggest hitting acts aged under 21.

One Direction meanwhile came in second place, despite their growing reputation as the biggest band on the planet.

In third place on the list is singer and new X Factor USA judge Demi Lovato, with American Idol's Scotty McCreery and rapper Mac Miller completing the top five.

Other notable names on the list include X Factor UK graduate Cher Lloyd, who is placed at No.8, whilst Miley Cyrus ranks at No.18.

The 2012 series of the reality TV show has started in the US as Britney Spears and Demi Lovato join the judging panel.

Quatrele Da'an appeared on the show in San Francisco to perform his take on Lady Gaga's hit track 'Born This Way', but he turned heads however by taking to the stage in a wedding dress style ensemble.

He sung the song admirably however and managed to convince the majority of the judges to keep him in the show.

Lady Gaga tweeted today (September 17) about the audition, calling it "amazing" and praising the colourful nature of his performance. She said:

"UM XFACTOR!! What a colorful entertainer sang Born This Way! @britneyspears, demi and even simon loved it! #amazing."